Steam-generator.



No. 737,279. PATBNTED AUG. z5, 1903-.V

c. E. RUBY.

STEAM GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED l.TUNE 16, 1902` No nolinL. l 5 sHnnTs-snnsr 1..

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No. 737,279. BATEN'EED AUG. 25,1903.. Y

STEAM GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1e, 1902.

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Y No. 737,279.l PATBNTBD AUG. 25, V1903.

* 0.P.RUBY.

STEAM GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED, mmm 16, 1902.

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PATENTE'D AUG. z5, 1903. o. E. RUBY. A

STEAM GENERATOR.A

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16, 1902.

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No. 737,279'. Y i u UNITED )STATRSL :smeared August a5, leo.

-PATIrIvT OFFICE.

CHARLES F. RUBY, on ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNoR To' MISSOURI LOCOVOLO COMPANY, OF` ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

STEAM-GENERATOR.

SIDEGIFICATION 'forming part of Letters Patent No. 737,279, dated August 25, 1903.

Application filed une 16, 1902.

To all whom 15j/mty co'cer'rt:

Beit known that LCHARLES F. RUBY, Aa'l 'subject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary,

residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have inventedY a certain new and useful Improvementin Steam-Generators, of which the following is f a full, clear, and exact description,`such as will enable others skilled in theart to vwhich it appertains to make and use the same, reference being h ad to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specication, in whichi Figure lis a vertical Sectional View through my' improved steam-generator. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same, the cover being reerator; and Fig. 6 is a sectional View on line 6 6, Fig. 5. Y

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in steam-generators of that type known as dash-boilers.

The object of my present invention is to provide asteam-generator particularly adapted for outdoor work, such as in connection with portable machinery, automobiles, &c.

Another object is to so construct the generator that it is not aected by Wind, Weather, and other conditions usually accompanying the above-mentioned use.

Another object is to realize a niore'com plete combustion of gases under the varying conditions imposed by the above-mentioned use and to absorb the heat of combustion entirely," o'r nearly so. v

Another Objectis to provide means for regulatin g the temperature of the generator wherebythe same may be kept uniform to any desired extent.

It has been customary heretofore in the use of steam-generators of the above-mentioned type to mix the generated gas with air in a mixing device and then burn the mixture in air. The pressure of combustion in such a burner arrangement is practically nil, and

@serial No. 111,933. (No model.)

" 4the products of combustion escape through the paths of least resistance. In order to fforce the products of combustion to escape through the'chimney under all conditions in .the type of generator under consideration, it

has been necessary to use the exhaust-steam or some mechanical Aappliance to form a partial vacuum in the passage provided for the escape of the products of combustion. vIn "v' '6o ,such boiler-furnaces the water-heating sur- -face exposed to the gases was limited, as with the attenuation-of the water or the increased .amountof heating-Surface the resistance of .e

lthe surface to the passage of the products of combustion Ywas proportionately increased, `and also the cooling effect of 'the large boiler heating-surface had a tendency to cool the combustible gases to such an extent that com- Y bustion could not take place, and. a considyerable amount of unconsumed gases escaped. For these reasons the capacity of such a boiler ,was limited.

It is obvious that to absorb the greater part fof the heat generated by combustion the heated surface must' be exceedingly large, as the lower the temperature of the products of combustion the slower will be the absorption .of the heat units by the boiler-heating surface. In my construction I utilize the vezlocity of the incoming gas not only toeiect `a mixture with the'air, but also to produce pressure in the combustion-chamber, which pressure enables me to locate the point of u heat generated by combustion is, partly by f conductivity, imparted to the refractory ma-y terial in the combustion-chamber above or adjacent to the'zone of combustion, which other refractory material also lies in the path of the heated products of combustion.

Another object of .my invention is to pro.4 i i v `Ico yvidemeans Wherebythe tendency of the Water to spheroidal action is minimized, the Water being generated into steam instantaneously. v

With these objects in view the invention -consists in the construction, arrange ment,and

combination of the several parts, all as will hereinafter be described, and afterward pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, l indicates a shell or housing, which is provided with an outwardly-extending perforated ange 2 at its upper end, said flange having concentric ribs or lips 3 and 4, with which coperate bands 5 and 6, the latter forming an outer inclosing shell.

7 indicates a bottom casting, which is preferably dished, as shown, and to which is connected a pipe 8, said pipe receiving the blastnozzle, which emits the gaseous fuel, as is well understood.

9 indicates an inturned flange on casting 1, which flange supports a series of inverted channel or other bars l0. These bars are arranged side by side and parallel to each other with a narrow space between them, said space being preferably produced by nicking the adjacent faces or corners of the bars or otherwise, as by the use of spacers. A ring l1, secured to the inner face of casting 1, serves to hold the burner-bars against displacement.

12 indicates the inleading duct for the pilot-burner, t-he inner end of said duct terminating in a burner 13. This burner preferably consists of a series of rings or bands arranged close together and supported by interiorly-arranged ribs 14. The flame from this pilot-burner is intended to burn on the outside thereof, and in starting the device this pilot-burner is first lighted, so as to heat a vaporizing-coil 15 wound about the same. When the liquid fuel is converted into gas in this vaporizing-coil, the main burner is ignited. The water to be heated is led through a pipe 16 and into a manifold 17, from which manifold leads a series of pipes arranged side by side, three being shown in the drawings, which pipes are coiled in the space between the bands 5 and 6, their upper ends near the top of said space entering a manifold 18, from which leads a connecting-pipe 19 to a spiral coil 20. This spiral coil is the upper one of a series of such coils, which series is formed, preferably, of a single pipe wound about in spiral form until near the center, when said pipe is carried outwardly, as at 21, to the commencement of the large turn of the next coil immediately beneath. In this manner the coils constituting this series are all connccted, so that the water travels approximately in the same direction, entering each coil at the largest bend thereof. It is obvious, however, that instead of the particular arrangement above described the coils can be so constructed as to cause the water to travel in opposite directions in different coils. Other changes in the arrangement of the coils might also be made, and therefore I do not wish to limit my invention to any particular `highly-heated surface.

arrangement, except as such limitations may appear in the claims.

The water entering in the heating-coils will pass into the converting-coils 20 practically at the coolest part of the combustion-chamber, the water descending in the convertingcoils until it is converted into steam, the steam being led off through a pipe 22, which is connected to the terminal of the lowest converting-coil. In order' to cause the water in the converting-coils to travel in other than a straight path, I insert in said coil a coiled wire 23. The shape of this wire 23 is substantially that of a coiled spring stretched somewhat so as to increase the pitch thereof, whereby the Water in passing through the pipe containing such coiled wire will have imparted to it a swirling motion. I prefer to arrange this coiled wire 23 throughout the length of the converting-coils, said wire being introduced into position t before the pipe is bent to form said coils. One advantage of this interior-ly -arranged coiled wire is the destruction of the spheroids formed by the water when in contact with a highlyheated surface. 1t is well known thatwater will not be converted into steam instantaneously when placed in contact with a The action of the water under such conditions is to form spheroids, as they are called, which spheroids on account of the intense heat to which they are subjected are enveloped in a gas, which prevents actual contact therebetween and the heated surface. A good illustration of this may be seen by dropping water on a red-hot stove. The drops of Water will not be immediately converted into steam, but will dance about, gradually becoming smaller and smaller until finally they disappear. Another observation which may be made here in this connection is that if water is dropped onto a stove-lid which is highly heated and is not converted to steam on the lid, but forms a spheroid which ultimately rolls off of the highly-heated lid and onto another part of the stove of lower temperature, it will be seen that the instaut a lower temperature is reached the drop of water will be flashed into steam, and it will also be seen that the water had before its conversion into steam been in actual contact with the plate. It is estimated that a plate heated to 700 Fahrenheit and over will not fiash Water into steam; but the Water will have the spheroidal action referred to. For flashing water into steam a temperature of about 450 Fahrenheit is believed to be the best. Assuming, then, that the converting-coils may in the operation of the devices he heated to a red heat which is too high for an efficient generator, the coiled wire inside will naturally have a lower temperature on account of the small line of contact with the convertingcoils. This lower temperature is desirable, as the wire 23 thus serves as the iiashing medium, and the spheroidal action of the water is by this means reduced to a minimum.

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To maintain a uniform heatin the generarv tor, I prefer to introduce some refractory ma-v terial around the converting-coils, which refractory material becomes highly heated.

This refractory material is preferably magconneitself close to the sides of the burner.

When gas is admitted through the main burner, it passes up through the openings between the burner-bars and may be ignited from the pilot-burner or through the door 28.

The gas in lthe main burner is ignited in thel bottom part of the chamber and forms practically a solid fire-floor, the products of comthe heating-coils.

bustion passing upwardly through the interstices or connected openings formed by particles of refractory material. ThisA refractory material becomes highly heated,retfaining the heat for a considerable period of time and imparting a high heat to the convertingcoils. The products of combustion pass through openings 29, formed inthe upper end of the band 5, thence ,around the heatingcoils, and downwardly through escape-openings 30 in the Iiange 2. VThe heating-coils referred to after being placed in position have packed around them some heating medium of high conductivity-snch,for instance, as brass or copper chips. In this manner the direct escape of the products of combustion `from openings 29 to openings 30 is interrupted, and the heat is absorbed by the great surface present in the granulated metal or conductive material and is caused to be diffused throughout the chamber containing To properly space these heating-coils, notched radial ribs 31 may be provided on the upper face of-ange 2, as shown in Fig. 3. To -prevent the escape of the" chips or granulated metal through the openings 30, said openings may be covered` by Wire-gauze 32.

While I have described the device ashaving main and pilot burners at the bottom and the initial heating-coils in a separate.v

chamber around the upper portion of the main chamber containing the convertingcoils, it is Aobvious that this arrangement can A be changed without departing from the nature and spirit of my invention. In fact, in some instances it may be desirable to arrange the main and pilot burners at the top-of the device in order to prevent the refractory material in the main chamber from chokingthe slits 'in the main burner by its disintegrated particles. This will be readily understood if we consider that the construction shown inthedrawings was turned upside down.. The

l.products of combustion ;must travel out through the openings 29 and 30, as there jis no other path of escape.

In order to regulate the temperatureof the generator, I introduce a pipe 33 into the convertingcoils and preferably inside ofthe coiled wire 23. This expansion-pipe, as it lmight be termed, is closed at oneend by'a plug 34, as shown in Fig. 4, the other endof f said pipe leading down behind a diaphragm in a casing 36. This diaphragm cooperates with a spring-pressed valve-stem 37, whose valve controls the supply of gas from the coil l5 to vnozzles leading tothe pilot and main burners. The object of plugging up one end of coil 33 is to enable the introduction of some suitable liquid or gas in said coil which will entirely lill the same', and the expansion -of this liquid and its gases is relied upon to operate the diaphragm in the casing 36.

The liquid fuel from any suitable source of supply is led toV the vaporizing-coil through a'pipe 38,and when converted into vapor the vapor is led from said coil through a pipe 39, the exit from said pipe to the main and pilot burners being controlled by the valve on the diaphragm-operated stem 40 indicates a nozzle leading burner, which nozzle is controlled by a valve 41 and is preferably provided with beating pins orv fianges 42 over a ,fuel-pan 43, into which liquid fuel is placed and ignited in starting the pilotburner, as is well understood. j

44 indicates a nozzle leading to the main burner, which nozzle is controlled by a valvey In Figs. 5 and 6 I have shown a construction wherein the main burner is at the'upper instead of the lower portion of the combustion-chamber and in which the convertingchamber, hereinbefore described asbeing located in a coiled pipe, is provided in a straight vertically disposed pipe having radiating heat-conducting wings. In this modified form Ihave also shown a pipe 46 for conveying com-l pressed air under the surface of liquid fuel con-- tained in a tank 47, the carbureted air being conducted off through a pipe 48 into a chamber 49, where it is distributed over thesurface of burner-bars 50. These bu rnerlbars are in this form shown as solid bars with narrow spaces.,y

between them, said bars being supported by a flanged ring 51,. secured inside the shell 52. This shell is preferably conical in shape and carries an inturned flange 53 at its lower end, which supports ahead-plate 54. vThis headplate is provided with openings 55 for the escape of the products of combustion, which openings are covered by wire-gauze 56.

57 indicates an inlead-pipe leading from` some suitable source of supply, which inlead.- pipe is preferably coiled and delivers the water to the Vconverting-chamber.58,the walls.A

to the pilot-Y d .I OO

of said chamber being provided with radial wings orheat-conducting extensions 59. The steam produced in this converting-chamber is led oif through a pipe 60.

Refractory material (indicated at 6l) is arranged in the upper part of the cumbustionchamber immediately beneath the burnerbars, and this refractory material serves to restrict the Zone of combustion adjacent the burner-bars, as heretofore described. Comminuted metal 62 is arranged in the bottom portion of the chamber, which comminuted metal may be in the form of brass or copper chips, as before described.

In operation the pressure upon the carbureted air forces the same between the burnerbars, combustion occurring on the under side 4of said bars and in the upper portion of the strata of the refractory material. This refractory material becomes highly heated. The products of combustion pass downwardly through the refractory material and comminuted metal underneath, which absorbs the heat therefrom and imparts it to the contents of the converting-chamber through the medium of the conducting-wings 59.

I have in the above described two forms of my invention; but it is obvious that there are other forms and arrangements which can be utilized in carrying out my new principles of operation.

In the following claims for the sake of dis- .tinction I will refer to the chamber in which the water is flashed into steam as the converting-chamber. The granuliferous refractory material used provides a series of con nected air-spaces in which combustion oc! curs, the products of combustion passing olf through the said air-spaces, and for purposes of distinction these spaces may be termed interstices. The comminuted metal referred to is preferably in the form of turnings, as described, in which event the products of combustion escaping from thegrannlated material may readily pass through the turnings as the openings between the turnings are of larger size, and the passages for the products of combustion are thus increased. However, the comminuted metal may be in other forms, such as granulated metal, and therefore I do not wish my invention to be limited to the use of said turnings.

In both forms of my invention it will be observed that the cold water enters at the coolest portion of the generator and when converted into steam leaves the hottest portion of said generator. This I deem. an advantage.

In generators of the type shown in Fig. l, which I have used the products of combustion passing through the openings 30 are practically at atmospheric temperature,

which indicates that all or nearly all of the heatunits generated in the combustion-chamber have been absorbed. Furthermore, the openings being arranged as shown are not subject to inuences of wind or other eX- ternal conditions tending to impair or interfere with the normal operation of the generator.-

I do not in this application claim the construction of the feed-Water heater nor the hydrocarbon-furnace, and said devices form the subject-matter of separate applications filed by me October 3l, 1902, and January l0, 1903, and serially numbered 129,575 and 138,502, respectively. i

I am aware that many minor changes in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of'my device can be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without in the least departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a steam-generator, the combination with a combustion-chamber, of a steam-converter arranged therein, non-metallic refractory material in thermal contact with said converter, an inletinto said chamber for combustible gases and air under pressure, and an exit for the products of combustion, said exit being through the interstices of said refractory material; substantially as described.

2. In a steam-generator, the combination with a combustion-chamber, of a converter arranged therein, a burner arranged at one side of said chamber, non-inetallic refractory material in contact with Ysaid burner for restricting the zone of combustion, and means for forcing combustible gases through said burner and said refractory material; substan tially as described.

3. In a steamgenerator, the combination with a combustion-chamber, of a converter arranged therein, a burner to one side of said combustion-chamber, means for forcing combustible gases and air through said burner, and non-metallic refractory material arranged against the ignition side of said burner and in thermal contact with the converter; sub stantially as described.

4. In a steamgenerator,the combination with a combustion-chamber, of a converter arranged therein, refractory material around one portion of said converter, and comminuted metalaround another portion of said converter; substantially as described.

5. In a steam-generator, the combination with a combustion-chamber, of a converter arranged therein, refractory material around a portion of said converter, an inlet-passage into said converter, and comminuted metal surrounding said passage; substantially as described.

6. In a steam-generator, a shell or casing, a converter therein comprising coils, a burner in said shell, and a packing surrounding said coils and said burner in such manner as to maintain separation thereof, said packing being composed of pieces of material of high heat-conducting properties; substantially as described. l

TIO

7. In a steam-generator, the combination with a combustion-chamber, of a burner arranged to one side thereof, a converter arranged therein', and refractory material in said chamber, the spaces between the particles of which increase toward the escapeopenings for the products of combustion; substantially as described.

8. In asteam-generator, the combination with a combustion-chamber, of a burner arranged to one side thereof, a converter arranged therein, and stratified non-metallic refractory material in said combustion-chamber and in thermal contact with the converter; substantially, as described.

9. In a steam-generator, the combination with a combustion-chamber, of a burner arranged to one side thereof, a converterlarranged therein, and heat-conducting material arranged to substantially surround said' burner, the spaces between said material being smaller in proximity to the burner; substantially as described.

10. In a steam-generator, the combination with a combustion-chamber, of a burner arranged to one side thereof, a converter arranged therein, and granulated refractory material arranged in said combustion-chamber near the burner, the spaces between the particles being relatively small, and com-minuted metal at a point remote from said burner, the spaces between the'particles of which comminuted metal are relativelylarge; substantially as described.

11. In a steam-generator, the combination with a casing forming a combustion-chamber, of a steam-converter arranged therein, a burner to one side of said combustion-chamber, refractory material in said combustionchamber, openings at the opposite side o f the combustion-chamber for the escape of the products of combustion, a chamber for receiving said products of combustion, and openings in the bottom of said last-mentioned chamber through which the products of combustion are discharged; substantially as def scribed.

12. In a steam-generator, a combustionchamber, a converter therein, a burner, nonmetallic refractory material in thermal contact with said con verter and said burner, and

means for forcing combustible gases through said refractory material; substantially as described.

13. In a steam generator, a converter, a burne'rand non-metallic refractory material in thermal contact with said converter, said material substantially surrounding said burner signature, in the presence of two Witnesses,

this 14th day of June, 1902.

' CHARLES F. RUBY.

Witnesses:

WM. H. Sco'rr,y F. R. CoRNwALL. 

